The development, Western Australia’s fourth domestic gas
hub, began operating last month and has production capacity of
200 terajoules a day, Houston-based Apache said in an e-mailed
statement. Melbourne-based BHP owns 71.4 percent of Macedon,
while Apache owns the rest.

Western Australia faces a gas shortage, with prices
tripling since 2005, according to the state’s DomGas Alliance,
which represents state users such as Newmont Mining Corp. and
Alcoa Inc.

Apache plans to invest about $1.9 billion in Australia this
year, including the Coniston and Balnaves oil projects and the
Julimar development, the company said.